


Loneliness is a Cold Beer

by anniemoon



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-07-15
Updated: 2001-07-15
Packaged: 2017-11-20 23:32:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/590926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anniemoon/pseuds/anniemoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>First and only in what was intended to be a series of Young!Ted fic. This one takes on how Ted met Michael and Brian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loneliness is a Cold Beer

**Author's Note:**

> Written sometime between S1 and S2.

Ted shifts uncomfortably from one foot to the other, rolling the bottle of Sam Adams between his hands, not noticing they had become numb. He scans the crowd, anxiously looking for Billy.

He still can't believe someone as heart-stoppingly gorgeous and self-assured as Billy had asked him out, suggested they meet here for a drink. Maybe more. That's what he said, with a slow wink that left Ted's heart thundering wildly in his chest.

"Why don't we meet at Babylon for a drink tonight?" Wink. Grin. "Maybe more?"

Ted has never been to Babylon, this club with its pulsating drumbeats and mass of writhing bodies. He's heard about it, of course. Even to someone like him, new to Pittsburgh and completely friendless, Babylon is already legend. It's the hottest new club in town, the place to see and be seen. He had to wait in line for almost two hours before he got in the door and he immediately headed for the bar for a drink to soothe his jangled nerves.

He was ready to pull out his wallet to show his ID but the bartender waved it away.

"It's okay. You look old enough." He slid the cold beer across to Ted, took his ten dollar bill and moved on to the next customer, no intention of giving any change.

Ted felt a bit stung as he slipped his wallet back in his pocket and took the beer. He's only twenty-three, just two years legally able to drink. Does he really look too old to be carded anymore?

He looks around him at all the perfect bodies and sighs. He knows most of them are older than him, but they shine with a youthful vibrancy that he has never had. Will never have.

He sees Billy across the room with a group of men and pushes his way through, excitedly calling his name. Billy looks up, smiles widely, and Ted's mouth goes dry.

"Ted! Glad you could make it," Billy enthuses, wrapping a muscular arm around Ted's shoulders. "Guys, this is Ted. He's my new favorite person in the world."

The circle of guys offer hellos and introductions, but Ted doesn't hear anything over the rushing of blood through his head as Billy leans closer to him and whispers in his ear.

"Hey, Ted, mind getting us a round of drinks?"

"Uh...sure. I mean, no, I don't mind," Ted stammers. "What would you like?"

Billy grins and Ted melts once again. He would do anything to see that smile directed at him for the rest of his life. "Let's live a little. Tequila shots!" The other guys agree with a riotous clamor of noise.

Ted does a quick head count and slips away, promising Billy he will return shortly but Billy has already turned his attention back to his friends. Ted places his order and winces a bit when the bartender tells him the total. He shrugs, figuring that buying a round of drinks is probably a rite of initiation among this group of friends. He can afford it if it means he's with Billy, if it means he's not alone in this city anymore.

The bartender smirks as he passes over the tray of shots. "See you in a few."

Ted wonders what the bartender meant as he makes his cautious way over to Billy and his friends, but Billy's welcoming smile makes him forget everything. Billy leans forward and licks Ted's neck languidly, then coats the wet spot with a dusting of salt. Ted stands frozen to the spot, feeling the tickle of salt sliding down his neck, as Billy places the lime wedge between Ted's teeth. Billy smiles again, licks the salt off Ted's neck, drains the shot, and sucks the lime from Ted's mouth.

Ted only feels the slightest brush of Billy's lips against his before he pulls away but it makes him harden in response. Billy gazes at him with clear blue eyes and grins as he sucks on the lime. Ted clears his throat.

The moment is broken and the other guys grab their shots, draining them quickly. Conversation returns and Billy turns his attention to his friends. Ted tries to join in but he doesn't know what they're talking about, so he just laughs when he feels it's appropriate. The tray dangles from his fingertips as he tries to figure a way to ask Billy if he wants to go somewhere to be alone. He places a hand tentatively on Billy's shoulder.

"Hey, Billy, I was wondering---"

"Ted, would you go get us another round? Thanks." Billy flashes a smile at him, less vibrant this time, and returns to his conversation.

"Um...sure," Ted replies, but Billy doesn't hear him. He goes back to the bar and places the order, noticing but not really caring that the price has gone up. He looks across the room at Billy and sees him laughing at something one of his friends has said. Ted aches at how beautiful Billy is and silently urges the bartender to hurry so he can return to Billy's side.

The bartender doesn't even try to mask his contempt this time. He just rolls his eyes and pushes the tray over. "Should I go ahead and get the next round ready?"

"What?" Ted is confused.

The bartender just snorts. "You'll figure it out." He turns to another customer, ignoring Ted's questioning stare.

Ted returns to the group and this time Billy snatches his drink, draining it quickly without indulging in the playful way he drank his first shot. The chattering conversation continues and Ted tries to join in, but each time silence falls on the group until someone laughs and says something new. Billy occasionally smiles indulgently at Ted but mostly ignores him.

Finally, Billy turns to Ted once again, wrapping strong arms around him and softly nuzzling his cheek. Ted is overjoyed. Maybe now Billy is ready to go somewhere else.

But Billy has other ideas. He whispers in Ted's ear:

"Mind getting us another round, baby?"

It hits Ted with the force of a punch to the gut. Billy doesn't want to be with him. He just wants someone, a spineless pushover like Ted, to buy him and his friends drinks. That's why he invited Ted to meet him at Babylon. Ted feels his face flushing and he chokes back his humiliation, struggling to keep Billy from seeing it. He manages a flat smile and nods. "Sure." Billy's smile - much less beautiful now that Ted can see the mockery behind it - urges him to hurry.

Ted drops the tray on the bar, the bartender's laughter jackhammering into his ears as he walks quickly to the door, hoping only to get outside, away from anyone who will see him, before the tears start. He knew it was a mistake to come here. He knows now that it was a mistake to think that he could move away from the horrors of high school and college, to come to a new city and expect that things would be different. Things would never be different for him; he would always be pathetic and alone and it was about time he realized that. As he stumbles towards the door, his vision blurred, he bumps into someone.

"Sorry," he mutters, trying to dodge around the person in his way. He is horrified to feel tears slipping down his cheeks.

"It's okay," a voice reassures him. "It's packed in here ton---hey, are you okay?"

Ted looks up to see a young man standing in front of him, curiosity and compassion in his brown eyes. Ted nods, wanting to get this over quickly so he can escape. "I'm fine. Just...smoke from the, uh...smoke machine." It sounds ridiculous to his ears, but it's a ready excuse. Besides, this guy isn't going to really care. He is just being polite.

To Ted's surprise, the man doesn't just nod in acceptance and run off. He takes Ted's arm and leads him outside to the fresh air of a warm spring night, talking all the while. "I know exactly what you mean. They really overdo it with the 'atmosphere' in there. I have to come outside every now and then myself."

Ted follows the man unresistingly until they round a corner to a quiet alley with only a few couples making out. Ted wipes his eyes and takes several deep breaths, getting himself under control. He looks at the man again, more carefully this time. He's approachably attractive, with none of the wild beauty of Billy and none of the carefully hidden cruelty either. His eyes are darker than Ted's, almost black, like his hair. He's about Ted's height and slender, but Ted can see the shape of wiry muscles under the man's t-shirt.

Ted takes another deep breath and lets it out slowly. "Thank you," he tells the man. "It was pretty bad in there."

The man smiles comfortingly and Ted's heart twists at the open, genuine friendliness of it. He can tell right away that this man doesn't have a single false bone in his body, and he wonders why he couldn't see the truth of Billy's nature. The experience of the disastrous evening overwhelms him and tears prickle his eyes again. The smile falls off the man's face and he reaches forward to grasp Ted's shoulder.

"Jesus, it wasn't the fog machine, was it?" the stranger asks with anxious concern and Ted has to laugh at how absurd the question sounds. He bitterly wipes away the tears and shakes his head.

"No, it wasn't. I met this guy last night at a bar and he asked me to meet him here," Ted confesses, wondering why he's opening up to this guy, especially after seeing how easily Billy humiliated him. "I thought he really liked me, but it turned out he just liked my money."

The man purses his lips in sympathy. "Billy?"

Ted jerks his head up. "You know him?"

"Everyone knows Billy. It's his game. He's an asshole," the man explains apologetically. "You must be new."

Ted barks a harsh laugh. "You could say that. I just moved here a few months ago. I don't know anyone. Or, apparently, anything."

"Well, now you know to avoid Billy. And you know me," the man says cheerfully, the warm smile lighting his face again. "I'm Michael Novotny."

Ted returns the smile, unable to maintain his black mood in this man's welcoming, generous presence. "Ted Schmidt."

They shake hands and smile at each other until a voice interrupts them.

"Mikey! I've been looking all over for you."

Ted looks over to see a tall, arrogantly beautiful man standing in front of them, impatiently glaring. He looks over at Ted and eyes him up and down. Ted squirms under the man's frank gaze, not knowing whether to cringe away or puff out his chest. He is both repulsed by and attracted to this man with his tousled brown hair and cool grey-green eyes. Ted can't help but think this man would just demand free drinks from him, not indulge in the fakery Billy uses, and he almost likes the man for his brutal honesty. Eventually, the man's open stare dismisses him and turns to Michael. Ted relaxes minutely, although he knows he will always need to keep a guard up around a born predator like this man.

"So, Mikey, who's your new...friend?" the man asks, a leer in his voice. Ted blushes. Michael rolls his eyes, clearly used to this man's boldness and sneering disdain.

"Brian, this is Ted Schmidt. Ted, my best friend, Brian Kinney."

Ted sticks out his hand but Brian just nods, his lips curled into what could be either a smile or a smirk. Brian turns his attention back to Michael.

"You ready to go? There is nobody here I'd want to fuck tonight," Brian declares with distaste.

Michael nods. "Sure." He turns to Ted. "It was really nice meeting you. See you around?"

Ted nods without meaning it, knowing he probably won't see Michael again. He wasn't going to return to Babylon or anywhere on Liberty Avenue, not after Billy. He can already hear the snickers that would greet him, the whispers behind his back. "Nice meeting you, too."

Michael smiles one last time and starts to walk away with Brian. Ted watches him go, feeling his loneliness overtake him once again. He sees Michael stop, grab Brian and say something, hears a muttered "Whatever" from Brian. Michael run back to Ted.

"Hey, Brian and I are going to Lost Socks tomorrow to do laundry and karaoke. Do you know where it is?"

Ted thinks about it, then nods. "Yeah, I know it."

"Why don't you meet us there? Two o'clock?"

Ted blinks, not sure if he can believe what he's hearing. He briefly wonders if this is some kind of trick, like Billy, but then he remembers Michael's guileless smile and eyes. He knows in his heart he can trust this offer. He knows he doesn't have to be alone anymore. He takes a deep breath. "I'd love to."


End file.
